Steinberg making a ‘special announcement’ Wednesday

Former California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg speaks with members of the press about his possible candidacy for mayor of Sacramento, in Sacramento on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. Randall Bentonrbenton@sacbee.com

Former California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg speaks with members of the press about his possible candidacy for mayor of Sacramento, in Sacramento on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2015. Randall Bentonrbenton@sacbee.com

Darrell Steinberg is making a “special announcement” on Wednesday morning.

And if you’ve been paying attention to the news for the past week, you probably already know what he’s going to say.

Steinberg is expected to announce at an event at the Mill at Broadway development that he’s running for Sacramento mayor. In an email to supporters late Monday with the subject line “A Special Announcement,” the former state Senate leader wrote he wanted to thank “every one of you for your support and encouragement in making my decision about running for Mayor.”

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Steinberg’s name has been attached to the 2016 mayoral race for months. Last week, after Mayor Kevin Johnson announced he would not seek a third term, Steinberg nearly made the announcement official when, after a speech to the Harry Truman Democratic Club that resembled a campaign address, he said, “Man, if this wasn’t some kind of a hint, I don’t know what was.”

Steinberg political adviser Jason Kinney said the email to friends “constitutes an invitation, not an announcement. I promise your patience will be rewarded.”

In the meantime, Councilwoman Angelique Ashby – who declared her mayoral candidacy last week – picked up a high-profile law enforcement endorsement on Tuesday.

Former Sacramento District Attorney Jan Scully announced her support for Ashby, saying in an emailed statement that “Angelique has led the way on critical public safety issues including improving emergency response times, establishing Sacramento’s Police Commission, expanding critical community policing programs and protecting vital public safety funding to ensure that our police officers and firefighters can keep neighborhoods safe.”

For now, it appears Ashby and Steinberg would be the only big-name candidates in the 2016 mayoral race.

Former Sacramento County Supervisor and Assemblyman Roger Dickinson said Tuesday morning he has decided not to run. Instead, he said he would support Steinberg.

“Serving as mayor of Sacramento offers the unparalleled opportunity to lead the city in building a stronger economy in which all share the benefits, creating a sustainable environment for generations to come and lifting neighborhoods to the highest quality of life,” Dickinson wrote in an email. “I am deeply gratified by the encouragement of those who have urged me to run. However, after careful consideration and consultation, I have decided to not become a candidate for mayor.”